Yao set to retire

(7/8/11) The news that no one wanted to hear is here: Rockets center Yao Ming has decided to call it a career in the NBA. Yahoo! Sports reports Friday that "Yao has decided to retire from the NBA. He informed the league office within past 48 hours." The decision comes after years of dealing with nagging injuries. Back in December, Yao suffered a stress fracture of his ankle that required season-ending surgery and threatened to end his career. It was assumed at the time that the injury could be career-threatening, as the injury occurred just five games into the 2010-2011 season. Yao had missed the entire 2009-2010 season due to injury. In March, Yao told reporters in Houston that he would attempt a comeback but was cautious in his outlook. The 2010-11 season was the last year on Yao's contract, making him a free agent.

Yao mum on future

(6/20/11)Yao Ming is staying tightlipped about his future once his contract with the Rockets expires at the end of this month. The oft-injured center declined to answer questions about his plans at an appearance on behalf of the Special Olympics on Sunday, saying he didn't want to discuss anything not related to his work with the charity. He said previously he hoped to stay with Houston, now coached by Kevin McHale. The 7-foot-6 All-Star has said doctors tell him his surgically repaired left ankle is healing properly, but that he won't know before later this summer if he will be able to play next season. He becomes a restricted free agent July 1. Injuries have limited Yao to just five games since the 2008-09 season.

McHale wants Yao back

(6/3/11) New Rockets coach Kevin McHale would love for center Yao Ming to be healthy when the season starts in 2011-12. The Rockets have missed the playoffs the last two seasons. They played most of that time without the injury-plagued Yao. Yao's contract is up and his future with the team is one of the most pressing decisions facing McHale as next season approaches. "We'd all be really happy if Yao comes back to play, and I hope he can," McHale said. "I think he'll give it his best shot. His body is going to dictate if he can come back and play. That's all going to be laid out in the future. But who wouldn't like Yao Ming, a big guy who can really make shots, just a huge force in the middle? That's out of my control. We'll see where that goes."

Yao says ankle healing well

(5/19/11)Yao Ming says his surgically repaired left ankle is healing properly and he would like to remain with the Rockets. Yao said Thursday that he won't know until later this summer if he'll be able to play next season. He becomes a restricted free agent July 1. A stress fracture in the ankle kept Yao out of all but five games last season and he had surgery in January.

Yao would return to Rockets

(4/22/11) Rockets center Yao Ming says he hopes to continue playing for Houston after his contract expires this summer. Yao says his priority is recovering from the stress fracture to his left ankle that kept him out of all but five games this season. He told reporters in his hometown of Shanghai on Thursday that he hopes to begin workouts once he returns to the U.S. Yao says his professional future depends on his injury and the outcome of talks between the NBA and its union over a new collective bargaining agreement. He says he wouldn't consider moving if conditions offered by another team were similar to those given by the Rockets.